diff --git a/tests/e2e/release/public-htaccess.local-prod.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/release/public-htaccess.local-prod.spec.ts
index 24b324f4..ce992b49 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/release/public-htaccess.local-prod.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/release/public-htaccess.local-prod.spec.ts
@@ -231,9 +231,9 @@ async function distStaticPaths() {
         workboxFile ? `/${workboxFile}` : "",
         releaseEntry.entry ? `/${releaseEntry.entry}` : "",
         ...(releaseEntry.css || []).map((fileName: string) => `/${fileName}`),
-        ...(releaseManifest.index_asset_urls || []),
-        ...(releaseManifest.pwa_asset_urls || []),
-        ...(releaseManifest.asset_urls || []),
+        ...(releaseManifest.index_asset_urls || []).map(releaseRootStaticPath),
+        ...(releaseManifest.pwa_asset_urls || []).map(releaseRootStaticPath),
+        ...(releaseManifest.asset_urls || []).map(releaseRootStaticPath),
         cssFile || "",
       ].filter(Boolean)
     )
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ test.describe("public .htaccess static fallback", () => {
 
   test("emits favicon and manifest links from generated assets", async () => {
     const indexHtml = await fs.readFile(path.join(DIST_DIR, "index.html"), "utf8");
+    const releaseManifest = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(path.join(DIST_DIR, "release-manifest.json"), "utf8"));
     const legacyManifest = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(path.join(DIST_DIR, "manifest.json"), "utf8"));
     const rootWebManifest = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(path.join(DIST_DIR, "manifest.webmanifest"), "utf8"));
 
@@ -327,6 +328,16 @@ test.describe("public .htaccess static fallback", () => {
     for (const icon of [...(legacyManifest.icons || []), ...(rootWebManifest.icons || [])]) {
       expect(icon.src).toMatch(/^(?:assets|\/master\/frontend\/assets)\/favicons\//);
     }
+
+    for (const assetPath of [
+      releaseManifest.entry,
+      ...(releaseManifest.css || []),
+      ...(releaseManifest.index_asset_urls || []),
+      ...(releaseManifest.pwa_asset_urls || []),
+      ...(releaseManifest.asset_urls || []),
+    ].filter(Boolean)) {
+      expect(assetPath, "release manifest asset paths must be base-relative").not.toMatch(/^\/(?!master\/frontend\/)/);
+    }
   });
 
   test("serves the app shell from root, deep links, and release-prefixed paths", async ({ request }) => {
diff --git a/tests/e2e/release/release.live-smoke.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/release/release.live-smoke.spec.ts
index 7dd4c7b6..ffe63213 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/release/release.live-smoke.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/release/release.live-smoke.spec.ts
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ test("@public-live release manifest, shell, and static assets are available", as
 
   for (const assetPath of assetPaths) {
     const hashKey = assetPath.startsWith("/") ? assetPath : `/${assetPath}`;
-    await expectStaticAsset(request, assetPath, manifest.asset_hashes?.[hashKey]);
+    await expectStaticAsset(request, assetPath, manifest.asset_hashes?.[assetPath] || manifest.asset_hashes?.[hashKey]);
   }
 });
 
diff --git a/vite.config.js b/vite.config.js
index ac4367d2..8a16e7aa 100644
--- a/vite.config.js
+++ b/vite.config.js
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ function releaseManifestPath(pathname) {
     return normalizedPathname
 }
 
+function releaseManifestAssetPath(value) {
+    return String(value || '').replace(/^\/+/, '')
+}
+
 function getGitCommit() {
     const envCommit = firstReleaseCommitEnv()
     if (envCommit) {
@@ -200,7 +204,7 @@ function releaseDistAssetUrls(outputDirectory) {
                 continue
             }
 
-            assetUrls.push(`/${relativePath}`)
+            assetUrls.push(relativePath)
         }
     }
 
@@ -228,7 +232,7 @@ function patchBuefyCssMediaQuery() {
                 nextCode = nextCode.replaceAll(invalidSnippet, fixedSnippet)
                 didPatch = true
             }
-
+            
             if (!didPatch) {
                 return null
             }
@@ -356,10 +360,11 @@ function releaseMetadataManifest() {
             const emittedAssetUrls = releaseDistAssetUrls(outputDirectory)
             const indexAssetUrls = Array.from(indexHtml.matchAll(/\b(?:href|src)=["']([^"']+)["']/g))
                 .map((match) => releaseUrlPath(match[1], '/index.html'))
+                .map(releaseManifestAssetPath)
                 .filter(Boolean)
             const releaseEntryAssetUrls = [
-                releaseEntry.entry ? `/${releaseEntry.entry}` : '',
-                ...(Array.isArray(releaseEntry.css) ? releaseEntry.css.map((fileName) => `/${fileName}`) : [])
+                releaseEntry.entry ? releaseManifestAssetPath(releaseEntry.entry) : '',
+                ...(Array.isArray(releaseEntry.css) ? releaseEntry.css.map(releaseManifestAssetPath) : [])
             ].filter(Boolean)
             const pwaAssetUrls = [
                 'manifest.json',
@@ -373,7 +378,7 @@ function releaseMetadataManifest() {
                 ...rootFiles.filter((fileName) => /^workbox-[^/]+\.js$/.test(fileName))
             ]
                 .filter((fileName) => fs.existsSync(path.join(outputDirectory, fileName)))
-                .map((fileName) => `/${fileName.replace(/\\/g, '/')}`)
+                .map((fileName) => releaseManifestAssetPath(fileName.replace(/\\/g, '/')))
 
             for (const manifestPath of ['manifest.webmanifest', 'assets/manifest.webmanifest']) {
                 const absoluteManifestPath = path.join(outputDirectory, manifestPath)
@@ -386,7 +391,7 @@ function releaseMetadataManifest() {
                     for (const icon of pwaManifest.icons || []) {
                         const iconPath = releaseUrlPath(icon.src || '', `/${manifestPath}`)
                         if (iconPath) {
-                            pwaAssetUrls.push(iconPath)
+                            pwaAssetUrls.push(releaseManifestAssetPath(iconPath))
                         }
                     }
                 } catch {
@@ -395,8 +400,8 @@ function releaseMetadataManifest() {
             }
 
             const criticalAssetUrls = Array.from(new Set([
-                '/index.html',
-                '/release-entry.json',
+                'index.html',
+                'release-entry.json',
                 ...emittedAssetUrls,
                 ...indexAssetUrls,
                 ...releaseEntryAssetUrls,